New Jersey schools acting as polling places for this Tuesday's primary election will have the option to have a remote learning day, state officials confirmed.

Several districts have informed their communities that students and teachers will not be in the building on election day. These precautions are being taken as a direct result of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Old Bridge Superintendent David Cittadino said on Twitter that all schools in the district will be closed.

"We have an obligation to the safety of our school community first," Cittadino said. "If we have learned one thing out of the #Uvalde tragedy, any unlocked/open door while students are present in school is unacceptable."

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Law enforcement personnel stand outside Robb Elementary School following a shooting, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
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State Department of Education spokesperson Mike Yaple told New Jersey 101.5 that the option for remote or virtual instruction is there for certain districts operating as polling sites.

"If the statutory requirements are met, the virtual or remote instructional day will count toward the 180-day requirement for those school facilities that are being used as polling locations," Yaple said.

Twelve schools in Trenton will be closed Tuesday as well. Superintendent James Earle said the district was encouraged to close certain schools and utilize remote learning "due to the number of individuals entering our facilities."

Another nearby district in Mercer County will also be closing several schools on Tuesday for virtual instruction. Hamilton Superintendent Scott Rocco confirmed the district will be doing the same for the general election in November.

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Nutley and Piscataway are also among the school districts taking part in remote instruction. Piscataway Superintendent Frank Rinelli apologized for the late notice, saying schools were just recently informed of the option.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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New Jersey high school graduation rates

The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.

The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.

Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy.

School aid for all New Jersey districts for 2022-23

The state Department of Education announced district-level school aid figures for the 2022-23 school year on Thursday, March 10, 2022. They're listed below, alphabetically by county. For additional details from the NJDOE, including specific categories of aid, click here.

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